In this opinion piece for Fox News, pollster Lee Carter argues that recent upset victories by progressive and Democratic Socialist candidates, such as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, do not indicate that America is shifting significantly leftward ideologically. Instead, she contends these results reflect a broader collapse of public trust in political and institutional establishments, with voters gravitating towards outsider candidates regardless of their specific policy positions.

Carter cites several examples to support her argument, including Mamdani's rise in New York, Graham Platner's rapid ascent in Maine before his campaign faltered, and Troy Jackson, a self-described "pickup truck progressive" now favoured by Maine Democrats. She pushes back against the conventional interpretation that such wins signal growing enthusiasm for left-wing policies, framing them instead as part of a wider anti-establishment mood shaping American politics.